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Tramp Press snaps up 'brave and brilliant' novel by debut author Gethan Dick
Tramp Press, an independent publisher specialising in Irish fiction, has snapped up the “dazzling, optimistic and philosophic” debut by Gethan Dick. The novel follows an underachieving millennial, a retired midwife and a “charismatic” Dubliner who set out from London after the end of the world to cycle to a sanctuary in the southern Alps.
Co-publisher Sarah Davis-Goff bought Ireland and UK rights to Water in the Desert Fire in the Night, from Philip Gwyn Jones at Greyhound Literary, for publication in May 2025.
Jones, agent at Greyhound Literary, said: “This is a bold, brave and brilliant novel, and it’s just been so great to see how the Tramp team have understood, embraced and championed it. So many readers will love it.”
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Dick said: “I’ve always been interested in the end of the world. Long before I had kids, I was certain there was something about the idea of pregnancy and childbirth beyond the apocalypse – I talked for 20 years about writing a post-apocalyptic novel, and then in the first lockdown we ended up living for two months in a stone shepherd’s cabin on Mont Sainte-Victoire. It was 20 metres square and we had no electricity, no running water, no toilet and the roof leaked. It was cold – we had brought a tent and we put it up indoors as insulation for the kids to sleep in (they were six and four at the time). I came back from those months having had a few revelations, including but not limited to: 1. I will never again denigrate or minimise the importance of the work that goes into finishing the day with the ones you love warm, dry, fed and clean – it is the stuff of life. 2. It would be really annoying if the world actually ended without me having written my book about the end of the world.”
Davis-Goff said: “As Tramp readers will know, we only publish a few books a year – but we practically bit the hand off Gethan’s agent for this dazzling, optimistic and philosophic page-turner. Gethan Dick is an incredible voice and we’re so proud to be publishing her debut.”
Water in the Desert Fire in the Night will be published by Tramp Press in flapped trade paperback in May 2025.
